Slot starts with Liverpool win, Arsenal beat Wolves to launch title bid

LONDON: Arne Slot got off to a winning start as Liverpool manager with a 2-0 win at newly-promoted Ipswich Town on Saturday as Arsenal began their Premier League title challenge by beating Wolverhampton Wanderers by the same scoreline.

Newcastle United defied an early red card for Fabian Schar to edge past Southampton 1-0, while Brighton & Hove Albion ran riot under new manager Fabian Hurzeler in a 3-0 victory at Everton.

Slot has huge shoes to fill at Anfield after the departure of Jurgen Klopp, who restored the Reds to the top of the English game.

The Dutchman was left less than impressed by his side’s first 45 minutes at Portman Road as Ipswich flew out of the traps on their return to the Premier League for the first time in 22 years.

However, Liverpool were a different side after the break as goals from Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah barely reflected their dominance to get Slot off to the perfect start.

A pinpoint Trent Alexander-Arnold pass set Salah free before he squared for Jota to score the opener. Salah then netted superbly after being played in by Dominik Szoboszlai to seal the victory.

“We as a team made a big change at half-time because we came out totally different to how we had come out in the first half,” said the former Feyenoord boss. “Second half, we won more duels, we won more second balls and we played more balls in behind because if the other team takes the risk of playing one-v-one and you have the likes of Luis Diaz, Mo Salah and Diogo Jota then use them, play the balls in behind.”

Arsenal have finished second to Manchester City in each of the past two seasons and are highly-fancied to be the champions’ closest challengers again.

Kai Havertz opened the scoring at the Emirates from Bukayo Saka’s cross to reward the Gunners’ early dominance.

However, Mikel Arteta’s men needed a vital save from David Raya to deny Jorgen Strand Larsen and Matheus Cunha missed a huge chance to level before Arsenal made the points safe.

The roles from the first goal were reversed as this time Havertz teed up Saka to lash home.

Newcastle’s hopes of a winning start to the season looked to have been undone when Schar was sent off after just 28 minutes for what the referee deemed a headbutt on Ben Brereton Diaz despite limited contact between the pair.

Southampton had dominated even the early exchanges against the Magpies’ full compliment but failed to convert from 19 shots and nearly 80 percent possession.

By contrast, Newcastle were clinical as Alexander Isak teed up Joelinton for the only goal just before half-time.

Everton’s final season at Goodison Park got off to a nightmare start as 31-year-old Hurzeler enjoyed a dream start to life in the Premier League.

Kaoru Mitoma fired Brighton in front on his return from injury that saw the Japanese international miss much of last season.

Danny Welbeck added a second after the break before Everton were reduced to 10 men when Ashley Young saw red.

Simon Adingra made it 3-0 late on and only a VAR review denied Brighton a fourth through Yasin Ayari.

Antoine Semenyo stepped into the void left at Bournemouth by the departure of Dominic Solanke with a late equaliser to salvage a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest.

City begin their defence of the title in the standout fixture of the weekend at Chelsea on Sunday.

Manchester United got their campaign off to a winning start on Friday when debutant Joshua Zirkzee came off the bench to grab a late winner in a 1-0 victory over Fulham.

Zirkzee, lacking match fitness after his 36.5m ($47 million) move from Bologna last month, came on only for the final half hour.

But the Dutch international saved Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils from a frustrating evening at Old Trafford when he poked in Alejandro Garnacho’s cross on 87 minutes.

“Subs are always important and it was good to see in the first game that you bring a sub on and he scores the winner,” Ten Hag said.

“Against Fulham it is always a difficult game, but we defended and pressed very well. After 10 minutes we found our spell in the game and we kept them under pressure. We created a lot of chances and we should have scored earlier and that is the only criticism of the team — kill in the box.”

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2024